A Spark of Light
by CM Aeris
Summary: Damian could recall every moment of his life in the League of Assassins quite clearly... Yet, he has a inkling that he had forgotten something. Something important that involves a strange man in a tweed jacket and a bow tie.


**A Spark of Light**

Years before he met his mother and long before he heard of his father, Damian Wayne was under the watch and care of the League of Assassins. From table etiquettes to assassinations, his days were filled with one lesson or another. Rarely was there a time he could call his own or do what he wanted to do. Even in sleep there was training to be done.

Those in the league treated him with utmost respect, even in the midst of beating him into the ground during combat training. No one was ever ill mannered towards him… or kind for the matter. He barely recalled a time he ever laughed in their care… at least from what he could remember.

o.o.o.o.o

"What is wrong with these people?" Damian grumbled as he glowered at the festive lights outside his windows.

How could anyone stand such dreadful weather? For a whole week, if it wasn't snowing, it was hailing. He couldn't understand why he needed to leave the desert base for this icy hellhole. What significance does this have in part of his training? Though… it did look nice down there with everyone smiling and looking like they're having fun. The seven-year-old scowled as he turned away.

"I'd give anything to leave." He mumbled under his breath miserably, but suddenly, his door gave a violent rattle.

Damian quickly turned, just as his door swung open and a tall stranger stumbled into the room. The man tripped and landed face first to the ground before scrambling up to slam the door shut. His face was flushed and his breathing, heavy. He look excited as he pressed his back against the door and gave a crazed grin.

"Why hello!" He said in breathless glee with a heavy English accent. "Is this your room—? Of course, it's your room! Why else would you be here? That was silly of me to ask, sorry to crash into your room like this!" He wheezed before he pressed his ear against the door. "I'm playing a game of hide-n-seek and I really need a place to hide—do you mind?"

Damian raised a brow as he glanced over the strange man. He was ridiculously tall, but very lanky. His clothing was disheveled and his face was covered with a fine layer of soot. He hardly seemed like a threat to Damian, but looks could always be deceiving.

"How is hiding a game?" Damian frowned. "It's only an act for survival isn't it? And from the looks of you right now, I think you're being hunted."

The man turned from the door for a moment with a puzzled look on his face. "What makes you say that?"

"Unless game is defined differently, it hardly sounds fun to be hunted and possibly killed." Damian replied. "It sounds like a stupid game."

The man looked thoughtful as he broke away from the door and strolled towards Damian. The young boy stood firm unwilling to back away. "Hmm…" The man hummed as he rest his hand on his chin. "Have you never played before?"

"Games are for children." Damian muttered.

The man lowered himself to his eye-level with his hands folded in front of him. "How old are you?"

"I'm not a child." Damian grumbled.

"Never said you were." The grin never left the man's face. "What's your name?"

"…Damian al Ghul." The boy hesitatingly answered uncertain to whether or not he could trust the man.

"Damian al Ghul." The man rolled his name off his tongue. "The demon tamer. I quite like that. I am in need of a demon tamer. Think you can be brave for me Damian al Ghul?"

A frown touched the boy's face. "What are you talking about? Who—" A roar interrupted. Damian sharply turned to his door with caution. "What is that?"

The man clenched his teeth looking quite comical while trying not to grimace. "That would be the demon."

"You're joking." Damian frowned, but the man was already fumbling through his jacket for something.

"Nope, I'm always one for a good joke, but now is hardly the time for one." The man pulled out a strange bulky looking pen—no, screwdriver.

The next thing he knew, a two-horned creature crashed in through the door; its body cloaked in darkness that no light could penetrate and its eyes glowed eerily red.

"Now Damian, you don't have to be scared, just do what I tell you." The man said slowly, his eyes never leaving the creature's form.

"I'm not scared! And just what am I supposed to do?" Damian snapped.

The creature roared. The strange man thrust his screwdriver at the beast before a wailing sound threw it into a fit of screams.

"Run!" The man grabbed his hand and dragged him around the creature just as it flailed its wispy tail.

Damian found himself struggling to keep up with the man's long strides. At one point he swore his feet was no longer touching the ground with how quickly they were going. Across the hall and down the stairs, he was surprise that they haven't run into any of the league's men. He only dared a glimpse back once as they ran.

The creature melded with the shadows, clawing at them at each turn. Damian was nearly snagged quite a few times had it not been for the man pulling him along.

"Just what is that? You can't be serious about that thing a demon. Demons aren't real!" Damian argued.

"Quite right!" The man chirped as they rush down another flight of stairs. "It's actually an alien called Diablos. It has another name, but it doesn't translate well."

Damian stared at him in disbelief.

"What? I'm not lying." The man retorted. "Anyway, we really should keep moving before it catches up. He's interested in you, you know."

"Me?" Damian frowned. "Why me? And who are you? How do I know it's not a ruse to kidnap me? Where are my guards?"

"Not a clue! Me? I'm the Doctor. Hello!" His grin grew only wider. "Three, it's not a ruse because what would I do with a little boy?"

"I'm not—"

"Right! You're not little, my mistake. And lastly, I think it ate your guards." The man huffed as he glanced around frantically.

"What do you mean ate them?" Damian asked.

A retching noise came from above before a wet slop crashed to the ground behind them. Damian turned and saw a pile of weapons and shoes. The creature clung to the side of walls making its way towards them.

The man grimaced as he glanced up. "Ate them."

Damian stared at the pile with widen eyes while the creature snarled. "…Does it want to eat me?"

"No." The Doctor dragged out his answer. "No, no, no. I don't think it wants to eat you at all. Or else it would've done it much earlier!"

"Earlier?" Damian asked in confusion.

"Oh! I forgot to mention, I've been following it and you all day already… Your caretakers should really find you a hobby. Huh… it sounded less creepy in my head." He trailed off. "Oh never mind that, I'm sure you'll get over that bit with a little therapy. Now! What should we do with this little beasty?"

"How should I know?" Damian demanded loudly when the creature jumped.

"Never mind that! Run!" The Doctor shouted as he dragged him along.

"Isn't there a way to fight that thing?" Damian asked breathlessly. "I am quite peeved we are choosing to flee like cowards."

"We are running, not fleeing. Fleeing would imply we have no plan to remedy this." The Doctor retorted.

"What is the plan then?" Damian growled.

The Doctor raised a finger to make a point, but quickly found himself lost. "Still cooking on that. Get back on that later. More running, less chatty!"

Damian wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or exasperated by this strange man. A man who calls himself a doctor, but for the life of him, Damian could not phantom what type of doctor could he be. Eccentric, wordy and overall annoying, never has he met anyone close to being like the Doctor.

Yet, he can't bring himself to hate the situation. Despite not knowing why this creature was after him or why this man was here, there was a twinge of something he never felt before. A hitch in his breath, a flutter in his chest and a slight twitch at the corner of his lips. Damian found himself laughing for the first time in his life.

"You are mad! Utterly mad!" Damian shouted.

"Now that's the spirit! Laugh in the face of danger! We're going to be just fine." The Doctor cheered and whipped out his screwdriver. "Now let's see if we could find something and make a decent plan to get out of this alive."

With each hall they passed, the Doctor scanned the wall with his screwdriver. Damian was ever so mindful of the growls and roars that neared them with each step.

"What are we looking for?" Damian asked, trying to keep the anxiety from his voice. True, he was insane to follow this man without knowing what was going on, but he still wanted some light on the matter.

"Why is this Diablos is sticking around here. Unless it's absolutely necessary, they generally avoid populated areas. So why here?" The Doctor hummed until his screwdriver whined loudly. "Hello!" The man motioned for Damian to stop and pinned his face to the wall.

Damian crossed his arms. "There's nothing there, my guards searched the place thoroughly before we occupy any building."

"They won't notice at all, there's a perception filter on it." The Doctor chirped as he scanned the screen on his handy little tool.

"Fine." Damian didn't want to bother arguing. "So what did you find?"

"No clue… Want to find out?" The Doctor grinned as he waved his glowing screwdriver once more. The wall snapped open, revealing a pitch-black staircase leading downwards.

"…It's dark." Damian muttered.

"Don't worry! We have a sonic screwdriver!" The Doctor chirped as he used his tool as a flashlight.

"…Why is it sonic? What use is there for a sonic screwdriver? It's not a weapon." Damian said dryly as they descended.

The Doctor looked flustered as he tried to grasp for an answer. "What? You've never been bored and wonder if you can turn something sonic?"

Damian raised a brow. "Now you're just being juvenile."

"And how old are you mister maturity?" The Doctor huffed.

The boy smirked. "Old enough to find having a sonic screwdriver is silly."

"Well, if I didn't have this we would be in the dark, so there." The Doctor retorted childishly.

Damian found himself shaking with laughter as they continued on. This Doctor was truly amusing. "So, this monster, what do you think it's after? You said it's weird for it to be here. What could possibly lure it here?"

"Not sure." The Doctor waved the light about, studying the walls as they ventured down. However, when they've reach the bottom the man quickly placed a hand on Damian's chest and pushed him behind him. "But I think I know now…"

"What?" Damian pushed back wanting to see what the man was hiding from him, but what he saw made him pale. "What are those things?"

From what little he could see with the light, the floor and the walls were pulsing. Black ooze dripped to the ground with each pulse.

"… It's a breeding ground." The man whispered.

"Breeding?" Damian's eyes widened. "You mean there are going to be more of those things?"

"Yes, but why is it breeding here? In a city filled with people. Food?" The man frowned. "No, can't be. It was following you specifically. So it must have something to do with you. I'm missing something here." He tapped his chin. "What is it? What is it?"

Damian shuffled uncomfortably as he watched the walls continue to pulse. "Can we not stand here while you're thinking? What if those things come out now and kill us?"

"I wouldn't worry. The hatchlings can't come out when there's still a light source; it takes ages before they could build up the strength to leave complete darkness on their own."

"Then why don't we just kill them now?" Damian asked.

"What?" The Doctor turned to him sharply. "No! Why would you even think that? They're just babies!"

"That big one ate my guards!" Damian snapped back. "How are they any different from that monster?"

"I could tell it to move its nest somewhere else. We don't have to kill them!" The Doctor argued.

"And where is it going to move to? Another city and eat them instead?" Damian crossed his arms.

"Everything doesn't have to end in violence." The Doctor reasoned.

"Everything ends in violence. Don't lie to me." Damian snapped. "If you're weak, the strong will destroy you. If you're strong, you destroy anything that claims what is yours."

The Doctor looked at him with saddened eyes.

"What?" Damian growled in annoyance.

"I will prove to you that violence is not the only way." The man said firmly before moving up the stairs to the upper floor.

Confusion touched Damian's face as he followed him up. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to the Diablos." The man declared as he raced up.

"What?" Damian shouted as he chased; it was hard when the man's strides were much longer than his. "You can't be serious! It'll eat you!"

"And I'll prove you wrong that I won't be eaten." The man said confidently as he stepped out of the hidden staircase and into the hallway.

"You're crazy!" Damian hissed.

"Diablos! Come out! We're right here and I want to talk!" The Doctor declared with open arms.

Damian shrunk back when the roars grew louder and the creature dropped heavily in front of them. Its glowing red eyes narrowed in caution. It snapped its jaws violently and growled incoherently.

"We are not going to harm your babies." The Doctor said soothingly. "We just want to talk. Why are you here?"

The creature growled as it paced back and forth to study them.

"I promise you, we have done no harm to your children. We just want to know why you're here." The Doctor repeated. "I could help."

"Don't tell me you can't actually understand this thing." Damian whispered harshly.

The creature paused and snarled. The Doctor paid Damian no heed as he replied. "What do you mean you need the boy?"

"Need me?" Damian's scowl turned to confusion.

The creature hissed and slapped the ground furiously.

The Doctor frowned. "No, you can't use him as a host! He's a child!"

The creature snorted and made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh.

"No." The Doctor paled. "No, no, no! You can't do that!"

"What did it say? And what is this about using me as a host? What's going on? Tell me!" Damian snapped.

However, before the Doctor could answer the creature slapped the ground and the shadow beneath Damian latched onto him small body, bounding his legs together and his arms to his sides.

"Doctor!" Damian shouted as he felt his feet sink into the floors.

"Listen to me Damian." The Doctor said seriously, but ever so careful not to touch him. "I need you to remember this. It is important you remember this!"

"Just tell me what it is already!" Damian shouted, trying his best not to scream in panic.

"Keep that spark alive."

"What spark? You're not making any sense!" Damian bit his lower lip to keep from hyperventilating; he was sinking faster.

"Just trust me and remember. It'll all make sense when the time comes." The Doctor gave a weak grin.

Damian took a shaking breath. "When that time comes... will you be there?"

The man's grin grew wider. "I promise. When the time comes and all this is over, we'll go on an adventure! I'll show you the stars and things beyond your wildest imaginations! Just remember!"

A chuckle escaped the boy's lips as the floor went past his waist and made its way to his neck. "As if it would be easy to forget someone as strange as you. You better not forget your promise!"

"Never." The Doctor replied. "I'll see you again, Damian al Ghul."

The shadows engulfed Damian whole and swallowed him into the floors.

o.o.o.o.o

"…mian? Da…mian?" A faint voice called out.

Doctor? Was it the Doctor calling him?

"Damian!" The voice called louder.

It wasn't the Doctor, so who?

"DAMIAN!" The voice shouted.

The boy snapped his eyes open as he took in a violent gasp of air. His body jolted up in a panic, instinctively trying to flee, but a pair of firm arms clasped around his waist and held him back. He flailed violently, trying to free himself.

"Damian calm down, it's me! It's me!" The calming voice called out, but he couldn't tell who it was.

He could see nothing but the glare of the light, but he could tell beyond the light was only darkness. Damian thrashed with his hands reaching out to grab onto anything, but only to be restrained and held tightly in someone's arms.

"Damian, it's me, Dick. Everything is okay now. Calm down, we're back at the cave. We're home." The voice said soothingly as he rocked them back and forth.

Who's Dick? What cave? Damian's breathing rasped as he tried to look around. Where was he?

"Master Dick, I believe Master Damian needs a moment to collect himself, he might still be confused." An olden voice spoke.

"Damian?" The first voice whispered softly. "Do you recognize us?"

The voices were so familiar. The boy blinked again, then a couple times more before his vision cleared. In front of him was an elderly man in a neatly pressed suit, a butler. Calming his breathing, he tilted his head up to meet with the worried face of the first voice. Slowly, the faces clicked in his memory and returned with the names to match.

"I'm fine Grayson." Damian said breathlessly, but he made no move to leave; he was exhausted. "What happened? I don't…" His brow furrowed as he tried his best to recall what happened. "I can't remember a thing…"

"We're not very clear ourselves. Tim is still trying figure out the footage." Dick murmured. "We were all on patrol, everything seemed fine at first, but all of the sudden, you started running across the rooftops. We chased you down and tried to get you to stop. Heck—we tried restraining you, but it was as if you were possessed. You were growling and spitting."

Damian covered his eyes with his hand. "I don't remember any of that… What was I chasing?"

"Tim's trying to see if he could find it in your mask's video log. We practically had to knock you out and drag you home."

"Was I drugged?" Damian questioned. None of this made sense.

"Not by us at least. It'll be a while before your blood tests are complete. Why don't you go back to sleep? We'll wake you when we find something." Dick said soothingly.

"No, I'm fine, I could—" Damian protested.

"No, you're resting. Doctor's orders." Dick retorted.

"Doctor?" Damian murmured quietly as his eyes drifted. He was forgetting something, but what?

"Now rest." Dick whispered gently as he lowered him back onto a pillow.

With his eyes closed, a green spark flickered in the darkness of his mind and he dreamed of stars, along with the strange man in a tweed jacket and a bowtie.

o.o.o.o.o

CM Aeris: I really have no clue where I'm going with this. It just seemed like a fun plot bunny to indulge in, but then again trying to cross these two fandoms is quite weird in itself. It's just a drabble, so I might not continue, but do tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!


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